Auto Repair Shop Rebounds One Year After Devastating Fire

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

PLYMOUTH – The owner of Campas Collision Center told Newswatch 16 that his business has rebounded one year after a devastating fire destroyed his automotive repair shop.

John Campas said after 32 years in business on Nottingham Street in Plymouth, an early-morning fire on Feb. 5, 2012 destroyed his repair shop, as well as expensive tools and five vehicles inside.

"You get a call in the middle of the night that you have a fire. You don't think it's like this. The flames were 35-feet in the air,” said Campas. “I remember being down on my knees crying, thinking what am I going to do next.”

Campas told Newswatch 16 that he moved his body shop business to a warehouse across the street and that the building that caught on fire was insured, but he’s still not sure if he will rebuild.

"Give me another year. Maybe I'll have an answer. Right now, we're operating a little lower key. But it's a lot less stress,” said Campas. "You don't realize how many friends you have and how many lives you've touched until you have a catastrophe. That's when you find out just what you mean to the community. It's overwhelming."